Comparison

12 Steps Companion vs 10th Step

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

12 Steps Companion

This app provides a modernized digital version of the Big Book for Alcoholics Anonymous members. It features a sobriety calculator, notes, contact database, and a powerful search function to aid in recovery.

Highlights
  • Modernized Big Book reader
  • Dark mode and adjustable font size
  • Enhanced sobriety calculator with widgets
  • AA contacts database with integrated maps
  • Powerful search and concordance tool
  • Collection of prayers and promises
  • Note-taking and sharing capabilities
Features
Read full description

First developed in 2008, 12 Steps Companion was the world’s first recovery app. It is a reader, sobriety tracker, and recovery toolkit. The reader covers the first 164 pages of Alcoholics Anonymous, plus more than 60 personal stories, the original forewords, and the appendices from the First and Second Editions. Dark mode, highlighting, adjustable type, a concordance search, and a built-in dictionary are included. Also available: 12 Steps Speakers, for talks recorded by members around the world. KEY FEATURES UNIVERSAL • Built for iPhone and iPad • Cloud-themed design and a quiet, discrete home-screen icon SOBRIETY CALCULATOR & WIDGETS • Sobriety length on the launch screen • Home-screen widgets with years, months, days, and hours THE READER • Dark mode • Highlight and unhighlight text • Adjustable font size • Full-screen reading in portrait or landscape • First 164 pages, plus 60+ stories from the 1st and 2nd editions • Original forewords and appendices • Page numbers and quick page jump • Tap any word to define it • Collapsible index • Return to a bookmark from any note SEARCH • Full concordance • Results highlighted in place PRAYERS & PROMISES • Morning and night prayers • Prayers from the Twelve Steps • Prayer of St. Francis • Promises collected from the text NOTES • Highlight a passage and attach a note • Share via Messages, Mail, and other apps • App attribution is added when you share CONTACTS • U.S. central offices, areas, districts, and answering services • Tap to call, email, or open a website • Maps and directions • Add your own contacts SUPPORT Questions or feedback: www.deanhuff.com Only stories from the 1st and 2nd editions are included • This app is available to U.S. customers only Not affiliated with AA World Services, Inc. Alcoholics Anonymous and The Big Book are registered trademarks of AA World Services, Inc. Please support A.A. by purchasing a printed copy from your local central office.

About

10th Step

This app simplifies daily inventory by asking ten yes or no questions to guide reflection. It saves your inventories by date and includes an optional tool to track progress on your recovery journey over time. Text boxes allow for detailed comments and insights.

Highlights
  • Nightly inventory questions
  • Yes/No question format
  • Date-stamped inventory saving
  • 12th Step tracking tool
  • Comment and insight text boxes
  • Optional passcode protection
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Tenth Step nightly inventory app that was created by members to help simplify their daily inventory. It doesn’t get easier than this. Reflect on ten yes or no questions at the end of your day to help you complete your 10th Step inventory. Inventories are saved and stored by date. Optional tool within the app lets you “track” how well you’re walking on the 12th Step beam over time, depending on how you answer each days questions. 1. Was I resentful? 2. Was I dishonest? 3. Did I promptly admit when I was wrong today? 4. Do I owe an apology? 5. Did I do or say something today out of fear? 6. Have I kept something to myself which should be discussed with another person at once? 7. Did I think today of what I could do for others? 8. Was I kind and loving towards all? 9. Did I reach out to someone in recovery today to see how they were doing? 10. Did I take the time to connect with my higher power through prayer or meditation today? Text boxes provide room for comments, explanations or insights. Optional 4 digit pass-code to protect your inventory answers from others who have access to your phone. 
 Designed and paid for by sober members in recovery so the app would be available and free to download. This app is not authorized or approved or sponsored by AA. It was made by members for members. We hope it helps you on your journey in recovery.

Screenshots

12 Steps Companion4 screens
10th Step4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: 10th Step at free against 12 Steps Companion's paid. 10th Step also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (90% vs 71%). 12 Steps Companion's advantage is chart position (#7 vs #21). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

12 Steps Companion costs $2.99 and 10th Step $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

10th Step holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 10th Step has 3.1K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of 12 Steps Companion's written reviews are positive against 90% of 10th Step's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

12 Steps Companion ships an update every 2 months, 10th Step every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
12 Steps Companion versus 10th Step: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter12 Steps Companion10th Step
Price$2.99$2.99
Rating4.5 (143 ratings)4.8 (3.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews90.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1433.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#7 — better#21
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB33 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDean Huff12 Step Apps LLC

Customer experience

12 Steps Companion

All ratings143 ratings
Positive86.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews72 reviews
Positive70.8%
Neutral15.3%
Negative13.9%

10th Step

All ratings3,110 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews193 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative3.1%

User reviews

12 Steps Companion

From 143 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 📚 Comprehensive AA literature
  • 📱 Convenient mobile access
  • ✨ Sobriety calculator included
  • 🔍 Effective search feature (when working)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Search feature often crashes app
  • outdated content (older editions)
  • 📚 Missing specific stories/prayers
  • 🐛 Data loss after reinstallation/updates
  • 🐛 Sobriety calculator inaccuracies

10th Step

From 3.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy and simple to use
  • 🚀 Convenient and efficient
  • 🙏 Grateful for the thoughtful questions
  • 📝 Helpful notes section
  • 🔒 Passcode protection

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and loses data
  • 📤 Difficult to export/share inventory
  • 🔢 Percentage scoring not always helpful
  • 📃 Doesn't match 10th step exactly from Big Book

Bugs and requests

12 Steps Companion

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Search feature kicks user off the app
  • App crashes after using search feature
  • Lost bookmarks after deleting and reinstalling
  • Lost all data after deleting and reinstalling
  • Sobriety counter is off by a day or more
Show 12 more
  • Page numbers do not correspond to the printed Big Book
  • Table of contents does not list page numbers
  • Highlighting a passage sometimes deletes it
  • App not working in newer iOS versions
  • Sobriety date changes by mistake when changing time zones
  • Notes do not save or travel between devices
  • Text resizing not working
  • Calculator not calculating correctly
  • App does not save sobriety date on new installations
  • Search by page number not working
  • Typographical errors in the text
  • Incorrect wording in the 5th Tradition

Requested features

27 requests
  • Add newer editions of AA literature
  • Include specific missing stories (e.g., acceptance prayer, resentment prayer, Dr. Paul's story, Acceptance is the Answer)
  • Update preamble and conference-approved material
  • Include the 12x12 text
  • Add the AA World Service Manual
Show 22 more
  • Add the Concepts
  • Add push notifications for morning/evening prompts
  • Add page numbers to the index
  • Make page numbers match the printed Big Book
  • Allow text resizing/font adjustment
  • Improve notes functionality (saving, syncing, visibility)
  • Add different highlight colors
  • Allow notes within the text (e.g., word definitions)
  • Add the Preface and Forewords from newer editions
  • Update the app for current OS versions
  • Allow annotation of text with notes
  • Enable multitasking feature or disable splash screen
  • Add contacts for areas, intergroups, and hotlines
  • Include other appendices, specifically the Traditions appendix
  • Add Dr. Paul's story from the third edition
  • Add the 12x12 book
  • Add the 24 book
  • Improve the sobriety calculator accuracy and appearance
  • Allow multiple, named bookmarks
  • Add highlighting feature
  • Landscape book reading
  • Central office contacts linked to apps

10th Step

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Security passcode doesn't work properly
  • Text doesn't show up in dark mode
  • Sharing/exporting feature not working
  • Inventory questions not displaying

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add a question about being self-seeking
  • Allow editing of past inventories
  • Ability to delete past inventories
  • Encrypt inventory data
  • Add daily gratitude list
Show 2 more
  • Provide more detailed inventory questions
  • Include a reminder/notification to do the inventory

In-app purchases

None

12 Steps Companion

No in-app purchases

None

10th Step

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 12 Steps Companion free?
12 Steps Companion costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 10th Step free?
10th Step costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 12 Steps Companion or 10th Step?
10th Step is rated higher. 12 Steps Companion averages 4.5 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while 10th Step averages 4.8 from 3.1K ratings.
Do 12 Steps Companion or 10th Step have ads?
Neither 12 Steps Companion nor 10th Step shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 12 Steps Companion or 10th Step?
12 Steps Companion ships an update every 2 months, and 10th Step every 3 weeks. Most recently, 12 Steps Companion was updated on October 17, 2026 and 10th Step on October 19, 2026.
Which is more popular, 12 Steps Companion or 10th Step?
12 Steps Companion currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and 10th Step at #21. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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